Coronavirus (Covid-19)
and Your Rings

When
planning a wedding ceremony, one of the things we
give attention to is that iconic moment when you
exchange your wedding rings. Exchanging rings
during the ceremony is not a legal requirement.
For various reasons some couples choose not to,
but if you are going to include this ancient and
much-loved tradition I spend some time talking to
you about how to ensure that the action is
photogenic. I also discuss what to do with your
engagement ring. And we talk about the
various additional rituals that feature your
wedding rings and decide whether one of these
would be an appropriate inclusion in your
ceremony. And I can never resist having a quick
chat about cleaning and protecting your precious
rings.

But that was all before we had to consider the
coronavirus (COVID-19). One of the more
common questions I am asked at the moment is
whether rings are still allowed.

Can you still exchange
rings during your ceremony?

Under current advice about social distancing and
standing at least 1.5 metres away from one
another, putting a ring on your best-beloved's
hand would be a physical impossibility.
Practicality, however, has recognised that people
who live in the same household will be in closer
contact. So, if you are currently living together,
standing close together and exchanging rings
during your wedding, is doable. Just as long as
the rest of us keep our distance from you, of
course.

If you are exchanging
rings, how do you manage that?

out

If you are cohabiting, you would exchange rings as
normal - each putting the ring physically on the
other's hand. But what you should not be doing is
having someone present you with the rings. With
other attendees restricted to your celebrant and
your two witnesses, there's not much choice,
anyway. You will need to manage the rings,
yourselves

Each holding the other's ring until the
point of exchange, or

Having the, rings available nearby, ready to
be picked up. A couple I recently married just
put the rings on the verandah railing next to
themselves.

If you are not living together in the same
household, and therefore need to maintain the 1.5
metre distance between you, you will need to be
more creative. Here are some suggestions

Place the rings at a distance where each of
you can step over, pick up your own ring and
step back into place ready to place the ring
on your own hand as your partner says their
ring vows. While that might seem a bit weird
on first consideration, if you think of the
ring as a gift from your best-beloved (which
it is), and think about our normal gift-giving
custom where you are handed your (wrapped)
gift, and you open it yourself, it isn't that
weird after all.

Pass the rings across to one another using
something that allows you to maintain your
distance. So the ring could be tied with a
ribbon on to the end of a stick. Or, if you
are lucky enough to have a backyard pizza
oven, be put on a pizza paddle (I would
suggest using something to make sure that the
ring doesn't slide off. At a push, a
frying pan might work too, as would a nicely
decorated grabby stick!

Warming of the rings -
something to avoid

out

One of my favourite wedding rituals is Warming the
Rings. There are a number of ways to do this, but
generally speaking the rings are put into a bag
and passed around hand to hand among the
guests. I have always preferred to use an
organza bag that allows guests to see as well as
feel the rings. The potential for spreading the
virus is obvious. So, for the foreseeable future,
this ritual should be avoided.

However, that doesn't mean you can't hold your
rings up, before you put them on, and ask those
present (your two witnesses) to send good thoughts
and wishes towards your rings.

Keeping your rings
coronavirus free

out

It is part of the normal routine of wedding
preparation to take your engagement ring back to
the jeweler for a good clean and, if white gold,
re-plate. But what about day to day - both before
and after your wedding?

My grandmother used to always clean her jewellery
– particularly her engagement ring and her wedding
ring – in gin. I’ve always just soaked mine in a
little dishwashing liquid (diluted). So, when the
whole question of coronavirus and hand hygiene
became a talking point, I did a little research on
keeping rings coronavirus free.

The obvious one is to stop wearing them, along
with your watch and any bracelets, on a day to day
basis something I hadn't thought of until the hand
washing advice became more detailed. The virus
remains on shiny smooth surfaces for longer than
on some other surfaces. At least 3 days (72
hours).

Luckily, most jewelery is pretty hardy, so you can
use substances that get rid of the virus on it.
But you do need to know what your ring's metal is,
and the stone type. Solid gold, solid platinum,
and diamonds, rubies, and sapphires can cope with
household isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
Some other stones, such as opals, can't cope with
anything much. And rhodium plated white gold also
poses some challenges. So be sure to consult your
jeweller.

For most rings, good old soap and water and hand
sanitiser also work, but just washing your hands
or rubbing hand sanitiser on your hands will not
sanitise the jewelry itself. Engagement rings,
wedding rings set with gems or with carved detail
can harbour germs hidden within the inside
surfaces, so you need to clean jewelry
separately. You can, as I do, use dish
detergent. But you must use a jewelry brush and
give the rings a good scrub.

Everyday ways to protect
your precious engagement and wedding ring

Apart from the infection control aspect, there are
everyday activities that can damage your rings,
particularly your engagement ring, so it would be
wise to take them off when you are doing any of
these activities or chores

When cleaningBesides the danger of the dirt you're
cleaning away landing up in crevices in your
ring, many cleaning products are not jewellery
friendly

When doing DIY projects or
gardening
Most tools have the capacity to scratch
precious metals, paint can clog up the
setting, and then there is dirt and grime

When working outWhile walking or jogging won't do anything
much more than make your rings sweaty,
anything more vigorous, particularly if you're
lifting weights, can create pressure on the
metal and distort your ring.

When swimmingSalt water creates a film on the ring. If
your ring is rhodium plated white gold
chlorine and other harsh pool chemical will
strip the rhodium. And cold water tends to
shrink your hands, making it much easier to
lose your ring.

When applying creams or lotionsThe quickest way to make the stones in
your rings look dull and lifeless is to wear
them while you're applying lotions or creams.

When sleepingThe weight of your body against your hand
can reshape your ring over time and this will
loosen the stones. It's expensive to fix.